Immortal: Unchained by developer Toadman Interactive and publisher Game Odyssey Limited, is what you get when you throw Dark Souls, Warframe, and the aesthetics from Unreal Tournament into a blender and hit puree. It’s something new and interesting for sure.
You play as a released prisoner (or at least that’s what the shackles tell me) from a sort of dark labyrinth. There is not much given as to who you are, who the mysterious figure is that freed you, who all these dead people are, or as to why you are here in the first place. As far as I know, there is no character customization aside from how you choose to level up. You can also choose your loadout, but that seems to be about it.
There are various areas where lore is fleshed out – but in short bits. I would personally like to encounter more of these areas to get a better feel for the winter landscape I am exploring. I am also not sure what the story here is … kind of like Dark Souls.
The developers advise playing with a controller for a fuller effect, and I’ll admit that makes a huge difference. The controls and user interface are very Dark Souls-ish, in that you hold B to run or to roll and you can lock onto your targets by pressing the right thumb stick. Whenever you die, you have the opportunity to recover your lost points in a similar Dark Souls fashion. The damage enemies deal is also deadly if you’re not careful.
I can draw a lot of parallels especially to Dark Souls from the level design standpoint as well. There are traps, clever ambushes, zombified swarms of low tier enemies, the works. There is even a crestfallen NPC hanging out by the first obelisk outside of the tutorial area. She doesn’t appear to be voiced yet, however. All of those obelisks work just like the bonfires; you level up, craft, and respawn at these safe points.
Also, on a side note: there is a direct parallel to the tutorial boss here in Immortal: Unchained and the Asylum Demon in Dark Souls. When you first escape your cell, you can see the boss patrolling on the bridge further away from you, just like the Asylum Demon is walking around. I thought that was pretty cool.
The hack-and-slash dynamic reminds me more of Warframe, especially with the combination of melee and ranged weapons. It makes the pace speed up when you’re dodging, shooting, and slashing. I really like that you can aim at individual body parts (while still targeting with the right thumb stick). Say that a glowing zombie is coming toward you: shoot his legs and he will drop for a moment. In the spare time you make for yourself, hit him while he’s down or finish him off with a blow to the head. You can also use a special attack with the right bumper. For instance, the pistol’s slows the enemy down and the carbine’s narrows the burst of bullets. As you fight you need to keep an eye on your stamina and mana bars. Dynamic combat at its finest!
There are loot crates all around too, but I do have to mention that you need to hold down the A button to open the crates. I missed the most important crate when I first started playing, which contains the starter weapons. I ran around zombies and was confused why I couldn’t attack with my fists. If you have nothing equipped, your character can’t do anything besides run.
There is some interaction with the environment … besides traps. You are able to destroy some obstacles and forms of cover, use ladders, and unlock other areas with keys/components. In most cases, the environment will not be your friend. In fact, it will mostly likely kill you more often than the enemies do, like with the purple lasers from the tutorial.
The only things that seemed off to me were some of the enemies’ behaviors in the tutorial, like walking into walls or the occasional floater. Some of the cutscenes would replay if you returned to an area as well.
Honestly, I haven’t had an experience like this in a while. It could use a little more polish and refining, but it is engaging even in its current state. Immortal: Unchained is challenging and its story is still mysterious. I wouldn’t mind continuing down the path of the damned, seeing where it goes.
Check Out the Immortal: Unchained Closed Alpha Trailer:
Immortal: Unchained will be available both digitally and at retail on the PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, and PC via Steam in 2018.
Hit us up for the Closed Alpha giveaway happening now until March 12.
RT and Follow for a chance to win Closed Alpha Steam keys for Immortal: Unchained Good Now until March 12! @soldout @ImmortalTheGame
— Gaming Cypher (@GamingCypher) March 9, 2018
I like to think of myself as the average Joe who grew up alongside video games. I have fun playing strategy games, RPGs, shooters, sandboxes, the whole shebang! Every game provides an experience whether it strikes you as profound, mundane, or someplace in between. I'd like to weigh in my two cents before you spend a single penny.
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